Photo: Mikhail Dmitriev / iStock / Getty Images
A 16-year-old was killed while riding a minibike along a paved walkway in Las Vegas just after midnight on Sunday (July 30). In a statement released on Thursday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said that the teen, identified as Angel Naranjo, was riding with his older brother when he struck a metal cable that was stretched across the trail.
When paramedics arrived, they found Naranjo sitting on the ground up against a wall with injuries to his neck. By the time the police arrived, Naranjo was pronounced dead. The officer wrote that Naranjo's brother was "hysterical" and could not provide many details about what happened.
Photos taken by the Las Vegas Review-Journal show that one of the tension cables from the fence along the walkway's edge had been removed.
"A hanging cable was observed over the west side of the fence," the responding officer wrote in his report.
Naranjo's father told KNLV that he believes somebody intentionally tied the cable across the walkway to create a tripwire.
Officials said they are awaiting the results of the autopsy to determine the cause of death.
"The LVMPD is investigating the incident, and our coroner's office is working to determine the cause and manner of death," Clark County Spokesman Eric Pappa said. "We look forward to learning more about what occurred. We are heartbroken for the family and friends of Angel Naranjo for this tragic loss."